I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology. More particularly, it concerns methods and compositions for detecting, evaluating, and/or mapping 5-hydroxymethyl-modified cytosine bases within a nucleic acid molecule.
II. Background
5-Methylcytosine (5-mC) constitutes approximately 2-8% of the total cytosines in human genomic DNA, and impacts a broad range of biological functions, including gene expression, maintenance of genome integrity, parental imprinting, X-chromosome inactivation, regulation of development, aging, and cancer. Recently, the presence of an oxidized 5-mC, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC), has been discovered in embryonic and neuronal stem cells, certain adult brain cells, and some cancer cells.
There is a need for methods and compositions for detecting and evaluating 5-hmC in the genome of eukaryotic organisms.